Courtesy Loyola University Maryland's Athletic Communications

BALTIMORE – Loyola University Maryland men’s lacrosse sophomore Jacob Stover was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association/BSN Sports Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday.

The Greyhounds goalkeeper was named Most Valuable Player of the Patriot League Championships after backstopping Loyola to its second-straight conference crown. He made 12 saves in both the semifinal against College of the Holy Cross and the final versus the U.S. Military Academy while only yielding seven total goals.

Stover started the Championships on a strong note, making six saves to hold Holy Cross scoreless in the opening quarter of play as neither team scored in the first 15 minutes. He then tallied six more saves during the remainder of the game and gave up only three goals in a 13-3 victory.

He then led a Loyola defense that gave up only one goal in the final three quarters on Sunday against Army West Point. He saved seven shots in the first half, and made stops on all five shots on goal the Black Knights took in the fourth and final frame.

Through 15 games this year, Stover leads the Patriot League with a 7.80 goals-against average, and he is second with a .556 saves percentage. His goals-against average ranks sixth in NCAA Division I, and he is 11th in saves percentage.

The award is the second of Stover’s career; he earned the honor last year after his first two starts against Georgetown University and Bucknell University in which he posted a 4.39 goals-against average and a .724 saves percentage. He is the second Loyola player this season to earn a National Player of the Week Award. Pat Spencer received the offensive honor after setting a Patriot League record with nine assists in a regular-season game against Holy Cross.

Loyola will find out when and where it will play in the NCAA Championships on Sunday, May 7, at 9 p.m. during the NCAA Selection Show on ESPNU.